Hold it Steady
If your pictures are blurry or not as sharp as you would like, the most likely thing is camera movement. If you are firing a rifle at a target and you miss, the only thing that could have happened is you moved the gun.
Photography is the same, if you pictures are not sharp, there is a good chance that the camera moved. When I was in the photo-finishing business, the vast majority of the millions of photos I saw were degraded to some degree by camera movement.
When I show my large photographs at art shows or people come to my home or studio, they often ask how I get the pictures so sharp. Some people even ask what kind of special equipment I use to make 36 inch wide photos. When I tell them I just hold the camera steady, they think I am joking.
When I have one-on-one students, I often teach them how to hold the camera and to practice holding it steady to get better pictures.
Part of the problem is the design of the cameras. High performance cameras are designed to make them easier to hold steady with good hand-holds and viewfinders that can be pressed against your face for stability. Poorly designed cameras that must be held at arm's-length or are very light weight are very difficult to hold steady.
Just as a rifle is more accurate than a pistol, an eye contact viewfinder is much more accurate than a point & shoot camera with only an LCD screen. Some point and shoot cameras have optical viewfinders, but most don't.
Long lenses or zoom lenses zoomed in are harder to hold and low light, resulting in slower shutter speeds, increase the problem.
If you want sharper pictures, practice holding the camera steady or buy a camera that is easier to hold.
"Can I hold this camera steady?"and "Can I see the viewfinder in all situations?" are the most important questions to ask before buying a new camera.
If you are serious about making better photographs, call me to arrange for a day of one-on-one coaching. You can be a better photographer in just one day. The one day cost of $250 is still in affect.
Photography is the same, if you pictures are not sharp, there is a good chance that the camera moved. When I was in the photo-finishing business, the vast majority of the millions of photos I saw were degraded to some degree by camera movement.
When I show my large photographs at art shows or people come to my home or studio, they often ask how I get the pictures so sharp. Some people even ask what kind of special equipment I use to make 36 inch wide photos. When I tell them I just hold the camera steady, they think I am joking.
When I have one-on-one students, I often teach them how to hold the camera and to practice holding it steady to get better pictures.
Part of the problem is the design of the cameras. High performance cameras are designed to make them easier to hold steady with good hand-holds and viewfinders that can be pressed against your face for stability. Poorly designed cameras that must be held at arm's-length or are very light weight are very difficult to hold steady.
Just as a rifle is more accurate than a pistol, an eye contact viewfinder is much more accurate than a point & shoot camera with only an LCD screen. Some point and shoot cameras have optical viewfinders, but most don't.
Long lenses or zoom lenses zoomed in are harder to hold and low light, resulting in slower shutter speeds, increase the problem.
If you want sharper pictures, practice holding the camera steady or buy a camera that is easier to hold.
"Can I hold this camera steady?"and "Can I see the viewfinder in all situations?" are the most important questions to ask before buying a new camera.
If you are serious about making better photographs, call me to arrange for a day of one-on-one coaching. You can be a better photographer in just one day. The one day cost of $250 is still in affect.
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